Artificial Gun Mounting Accessory

ABSTRACT

An improved artificial accessory device for mounting on to a gun rail integration system of a weapon having a weighted housing, a thumb screw positioned on a bottom portion of the improved light structure, a threaded hole through which the thumb screw passes through into a small platform, a recoil groove for receiving gun recoil, a track for receiving the gun recoil and a pair of track extending members designed to allow gun trigger housing to fit in between. The thumb screw is designed to be tightened to engage the improved artificial accessory device with a bottom portion of the gun recoil. Specifically, the thumb screw when turned drives a small platform, that can be spring loaded and featuring a raised ridge, upward into a position flush with the bottom of the gun recoil and fitting the ridge within a counterpart recess in the bottom of the gun recoil.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/910,017 filed on Nov. 27, 2013 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application further claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/083,216 filed on Nov. 22, 2014 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to a weapon mounted accessory. More specifically, the present embodiment relates to a artificial accessory device that can be easily mounted to the weapon and can be readily utilized in training scenarios without fear of damaging the actual and costly weapon mounted accessory that the artificial accessory device is intended to mimic.

2. Background Art

Weapon mounted accessories such as lights are used in conjunction with a firearm to aid low light target identification, allowing the user to simultaneously aim and illuminate the target. These lights can be handheld or mounted to the weapon, with the light beam parallel to the bore. Such lights are commonly used by officers of tactical agencies such as military, government, local, state and federal agencies in the field and for training during daylight, low and/or no light conditions. Weapon mounted lights are mounted on rifles, shotguns, submachine guns and handguns. These lights offer hands-free use, leaving the operator free to use both hands to control the weapon. The downside to these lights is that they must be sufficiently robust to withstand the recoil of the firearm which makes them more expensive than the handheld lights. Further, such lights require dedicated mounting hardware ensuring that the light is always aimed parallel to the bore, which makes their design complex and units expensive. Accordingly, use of these weapon mounted lights in training scenarios where they are subjected to damage without truly being needed for their function of illuminating a target is a wasteful and costly practice.

Another existing gun light discloses a weapon mount tactical light trigger that includes a mount to clamp to a shotgun or rifle, a light mount to clamp a tactical light, and a principle mount to joint both mounts with a trigger base fixed at the back. Components of the trigger base include a trigger to switch on/off the tactical light, a circular shaft to allocate the trigger on the trigger base and a fixing bolt to keep the trigger and switch of the light to stay connected under normal conditions. When a user presses the trigger with a finger, the trigger pivots on the circular shaft and exerts pressure to the switch of the tactical light. Such pressure not only contributes to the displacement of the tactical light within the mounting band but also requires the user to move their thumb in an awkward manner to operate the light.

Yet another existing system discloses a weapon mounted light that includes an interface integrated into the housing thereof to facilitate mounting of the flashlight to the dovetail rail on a modern combat weapon. The outer body of the flashlight includes a head mounted to a flashlight body at one end and a tapered tail extending outwardly at the other end of the body. Further, the flashlight includes a clamping interface that is a seamless and integrated feature of the outer housing of the flashlight itself for interfacing the flashlight with a firearm. The downside to this system is that this system requires additional components such as interface for mounting the flashlight into the weapon which makes the design and mounting process complex and, again, adds to the expense of manufacturing the flashlight.

Nearly all iterations of the weapon mounted light known in the prior art are highly specialized designs, constructed from highly durable and expensive materials and, therefore, no iteration of the weapon mounted light known today is particularly well-suited for training circumstances wherein handling a weapon equipped with a light may be important, but the function of the light itself is relatively unimportant. Heavy use of these weapon mounted lights in training circumstances frequently causes damage to the light, attachment system, or housing, generally.

Based on the foregoing there is a need for an artificial accessory device which can be easily mounted on to a weapon. Such an artificial accessory would be easily engaged to the weapon using a thumb screw. Such a needed accessory would be made of a weighted mass and nylon plastic housing which is same size and weight as the actual functional accessory. Such an artificial light would allow tactical officers to train the same way in lowlight conditions without damaging their operational light. Such artificial lights would be nearly indestructible and far less expensive than their operational counterparts. The present embodiment overcomes prior art shortcomings by accomplishing these critical objectives.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To minimize the limitations found in the prior art, and to minimize other limitations that will be apparent upon the reading of the specifications, the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an improved artificial accessory device that can be easily mounted to a weapon.

The present embodiment discloses an improved artificial accessory device comprising a housing, a thumb screw positioned on a bottom portion of the improved artificial accessory device, a threaded hole through which the thumb screw passes through into a small platform featuring a raised ridge that engages a corresponding recess in the gun frame, a groove for receiving a gun rail at the base of the gun frame, a track flanking the groove for receiving the gun rail and a pair of track extending members designed to allow gun trigger housing to fit in between the members, thus not impeding access to the weapon's trigger housing. The thumb screw is designed to be tightened to engage the improved artificial accessory device with a bottom portion of the gun frame. The thumb screw is positioned on the bottom portion of the improved artificial accessory device in such a way that the thumb screw, when turned, drives the small platform featuring a raised ridge upward into a position flush with the bottom of the gun frame and fitting the ridge within a counterpart recess in the bottom of the gun frame. The improved artificial accessory device is designed in such a way that the improved structure easily slides onto the gun rail and locks into place via turning the thumb screw thereby engaging the small platform featuring a raised ridge to the bottom of the gun frame. In a preferred embodiment, the platform is spring-loaded thereby facilitating the engagement of the platform and the raised edge with the bottom of the gun frame.

A first objective of the present invention is to provide an alternative to a functional weapon mounted light or other accesory.

A second objective of the present invention is to provide an improved training accessory structure that can be easily mounted on the weapon.

A third objective of the present invention is to provide an improved artificial accessory device which is less expensive.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved artificial accessory device that can be utilized by Military, Government, Local, State, and civilian agencies to train tactical officers in use and handling of a weapon featuring a weapon mounted light.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described with specificity so as to make the present invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements and embodiments of the invention, elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the various embodiments of the invention, thus the drawings are generalized in form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective view of an improved artificial accessory device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the improved artificial accessory device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the improved artificial accessory device mounted to a weapon according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the improved artificial accessory device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following discussion that addresses a number of embodiments and applications of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below. Finally, many of the steps are presented below and order intended only as an exemplary embodiment. Unless logically required, no step should be assumed to be required earlier in the process than a later step simply because it is written first in this document.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective view of an improved artificial accessory device for mounting on a weapon 19 (not shown) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The improved artificial accessory device broadly includes a weighted housing 10, containing a weighted cylinder 21 contained in the housing 10, a thumb screw 11 (not shown) positioned on a bottom portion 12 of the improved artificial accessory device, a threaded hole (not shown) through which the thumb screw 11 (not shown) passes through into a spring loaded small platform 17 featuring a raised edge 18, a groove 14 for receiving a gun rail 13 (not shown), a track 15 flanking the groove 14 for receiving the gun rail 13 (not shown) and a pair of track extending members 16 designed to allow gun trigger housing 20 (not shown) to fit in between the track extending members 16. The thumb screw 11 (not shown) is designed to be tightened to engage the improved artificial accessory device with the gun rail 13 (not shown) at a bottom portion of the gun frame. Specifically, the thumb screw 11 (not shown) when turned, drives the spring loaded small platform 17 upward into a position flush with the bottom of the gun frame and fitting the ridge 18 within a counterpart recess in the bottom of the gun frame. The weighted cylinder 21 provides the structure with enough weight to mimic a real light or other accessory. The improved artificial accessory device is designed in such a way that the improved structure easily slides onto the gun rail 13 (not shown) and locks into place via turning the thumb screw 11 (not shown) thereby engaging the spring loaded small platform 17 featuring a raised ridge 18 to the bottom of the gun frame.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the improved light structure for mounting on the weapon 19 (not shown) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Again, there is a weighted housing 10, a weighted cylinder 21 contained in the housing 10, a thumb screw 11 positioned on a bottom portion 12 of the improved artificial accessory device, a threaded hole (not shown) through which the thumb screw 11 passes through into a spring loaded small platform 17, a groove 14 (not shown) for receiving a gun rail 13 (not shown) at the bottom of a gun frame, a track 15 flanking the groove 14 (not shown) for receiving the gun rail 13 (not shown) and a pair of track extending members 16 designed to allow gun trigger housing 20 (not shown) to fit in between the track extending members 16. The improved artificial accessory device is made of a weighted nylon plastic and hence is less expensive than any of the weapon mounted lights known in the prior art. The weighted cylinder 21 provides the structure with enough weight to mimic a real light or other accessory. The thumb screw 11 is positioned on the bottom portion 12 of the improved artificial accessory device in such a way that the thumb screw 11, when turned, causes engagement of the improved artificial accessory device to the bottom of a gun frame when the groove 14 (not shown) for receiving the gun rail 13 (not shown) and track 15 are slipped onto the gun rail 13 (not shown) at the bottom of the gun frame.

FIG. 3 illustrates an additional cross-sectional view of the improved artificial accessory device mounted on the weapon 19 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Again, there is a weighted housing 10 containing a weighted cylinder 21, a thumb screw 11 positioned on a bottom portion 12 of the improved artificial accessory device, a threaded hole (not shown) through which the thumb screw 11 passes through into a spring loaded small platform 17, a groove 14 (not shown) for receiving the gun rail 13, a track 15 flanking the groove 14 (not shown) for receiving the gun rail 13 and a pair of track extending members 16 designed to allow gun trigger housing 20 to fit in between the track extending members 16. The improved artificial accessory device is designed in such a way that the thumb screw 11 when turned, drives the spring loaded small platform 17 (not shown) featuring a raised ridge 18 (not shown) upward into a position flush with the bottom of the gun frame and fitting the ridge 18 (not shown) within a counterpart recess in the bottom of the gun frame. The improved artificial accessory device is designed in such a way that the improved structure easily slides onto the gun rail 13 and locks into place via turning the thumb screw 11 thereby engaging the spring loaded small platform 17 featuring a raised ridge 18 (not shown) to the bottom of the gun frame. The thumb screw 11 positioned on the bottom portion 12 of the improved artificial accessory device helps to engage the structure with the weapon 19. The weighted cylinder 21 provides the structure with enough weight to mimic a real light or other accessory. The weapon 19 used here is preferably a handgun 19. The improved artificial accessory device is designed as an alternative to a functional weapon 19 mounted light or other accessory. The improved artificial accessory device can be utilized by Military, Government, Local, State, and civilian agencies to train the tactical officers in any conditions without damaging their operational lights.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the improved light structure for mounting on the weapon 19 (not shown) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Again, there is a weighted housing 10 containing a weighted cylinder 21, a thumb screw 11 positioned on a bottom portion 12 of the improved artificial accessory device, a threaded hole (not shown) through which the thumb screw 11 passes through into a spring loaded small platform 17, a groove 14 for receiving a gun rail 13 (not shown) at the bottom of a gun frame, a track 15 flanking the groove 14 for receiving the gun rail 13 (not shown) and a pair of track extending members 16 designed to allow gun trigger housing 20 (not shown) to fit in between the track extending members 16. The improved artificial accessory device is made of a weighted nylon plastic and hence is less expensive than any of the weapon mounted lights known in the prior art. The thumb screw 11 is positioned on the bottom portion 12 of the improved artificial accessory device in such a way that the thumb screw 11, when turned, causes engagement of the improved artificial accessory device to the bottom of a gun frame when the groove 14 for receiving the gun rail 13 (not shown) and track 15 are slipped onto the gun rail 13 (not shown) at the bottom of the gun frame. The weighted cylinder 21 provides the structure with enough weight to mimic a real light or other accessory.

While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims, if any.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is intended that the scope of the present invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.

Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

It is understood that the above described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An artificial accessory device for mounting to a gun rail integration system featuring at least two parallel rails and at least one groove perpendicular to and between the rails, the device comprising— a durable body simulating the contours of an actual accessory; two parallel channels integrated with the durable body, the parallel channels to be of complimentary dimension to the two parallel rails of the gun rail integration system; and a protrusion integrated with the durable body and located between the two parallel channels, the protrusion to be of complimentary dimension to at least one groove of the handgun rail integration system and to be capable of a first retracted configuration and a second raised configuration.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the durable body is weighted to further simulate the weight of an actual accessory.
 3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a weight integrated within the durable body.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the accessory simulated by the durable body contours is a gun-mounted light.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein the durable body is weighted to further simulate the weight of an actual gun-mounted light.
 6. The device of claim 5 wherein the protrusion is converted from the first retracted configuration to the second raised configuration via the turning of a thumbscrew that drives the protrusion upward.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein the thumbscrew and protrusion assembly is further spring-loaded to bias the protrusion upwards.
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein the protrusion is converted from the first retracted configuration to the second raised configuration via the turning of a thumbscrew that drives the protrusion upward.
 9. The device of claim 8 wherein the accessory simulated by the durable body contours is a gun-mounted light.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the durable body is weighted to further simulate the weight of an actual gun-mounted light.
 11. The device of claim 1 wherein the protrusion is converted from the first retracted configuration to the second raised configuration via spring-loaded means that biases the protrusion upward.
 12. The device of claim 11 wherein the accessory simulated by the durable body contours is a gun-mounted light.
 13. The device of claim 12 wherein the durable body is weighted to further simulate the weight of an actual gun-mounted light.
 14. An artificial gun-mounted light device for mounting to a gun rail integration system featuring at least two parallel rails and at least one groove perpendicular to and between the rails, the device comprising— a durable body simulating the contours of an actual gun-mounted light and weighted to further simulate the weight of an actual gun-mounted light; two parallel channels integrated with the durable body, the parallel channels to be of complimentary dimension to the two parallel rails of the gun rail integration system; a protrusion integrated with the durable body and located between the two parallel channels, the protrusion to be of complimentary dimension to at least one groove of the handgun rail integration system and to be capable of a first retracted configuration and a second raised configuration; and a spring-loaded thumbscrew assembly that biases the protrusion upward when at rest and further drives the protrusion upward when the thumbscrew is turned, converting the protrusion from the first retracted configuration to the second raised configuration. 